


Farmer’s field

by violetjosh



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Hunting, Implied Kidnapping, Implied Murder, It’s not dark until the end, M/M, Sex, farm life, lack of education
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 08:18:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14588862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetjosh/pseuds/violetjosh
Summary: "Hey kid, wait a second, what's your damn name?"Like he's forgotten it, he pauses and turns around, frowning for a moment before staring at Josh. "It's Tyler."





	Farmer’s field

*

He spends his morning shooting at the wild turkey that lurk his backyard. The sun is just rising, he's still in his pyjamas, thick fleece ones and the grass is still wet with morning dew.

Still Josh is outside watching as the birds crowd by an old oak tree with a swing hanging down from the sturdiest branch  
available. The previous owners of the house had installed it. The turkeys peck at the soft grass underneath. They don't notice him, he's too far away.

Josh sits on his porch, he's wet now, his feet cold, but he's on the steps leaning forward with his shotgun over his thighs as he watches them. There's about seven of them, his freezer is already stocked with meat, mostly venison and some chicken. More wouldn't hurt though, it's always good to have more available. Whenever he goes hunting he does it excessively, spending the entire day scouring the thick bush that branches off right after his garden does.

He settles comfortably, holding his gun up. It's heavy in his grip, it's all he needs right now and his hands hold it nice and steady. 

Jaw set straight, aim accurate, Josh is shooting at the birds. The bullets hit, they go down one by one, some run away, they flee, some flap their wings, some die with feathers floating in the air. Most run away while making estranged noises.

Josh decides it's most likely a waste of meat, he'll find a way to use all of it eventually though. He always does. He'll leave one of the turkeys for the wolves that visit at night and he'll pluck the other one's, slit their throats, drain them and use them as food.

That's what he does in the late afternoon, three of the four are brought into his shed, the one with his meat freezer and butchery equipment in it. The blood runs down Josh's shirt, his jeans, his gloves, it stains them all. He places the animals on a metal table side by side, he chops off their heads, their feet and throws them into a metal bucket, a rusty one.

He spends his afternoon in the shed working on them, making them perfect, making them beautiful for later. It's a longer process then he remembered, he hadn't killed his own turkey's or chicken's in a while. Maybe he's gotten rusty, he considers it but he figures the butchering of turkeys isn't something you get bad at over time.

He sets a fire later that night, a small one, he burns the feathers and heads and feet and when he hears a howl from the woods he smiles and uses the flashlight he always has attached to his belt to find the oak tree across his small field of land.

He finds the lone turkey and grabs it by its feet, this ones heavier then the other three, fatter. Blood bleeds from its body, it bleeds all over his grass. Josh steps in it, squishes his boots in it and when he reaches the end of land and the start of forest he throws the turkey. A solid throw, a far throw, he likes the sound it makes when it lands on a crooked tree root.

He gets back to his fire, it smells of chicken, it smells good like a roast. He puts it out instead of waiting for it to simmer down to embers and charred turkey heads. The water he throws sizzles, bubbles, he likes it.

*

He doesn't see any animals in his backyard for a while after that.

*

Josh gets new neighbours. On a normal day Josh sees nobody. Today isn't a normal day, today across the street, the only other property near Josh's becomes occupied. It's bigger then his, more acres, there's a huge barn too, old and wooden and a huge field that hasn't been tended too, the grass far overgrown. Then there's a moving truck, one from the city and a fenced in attachement to it with horses.

Josh counts seven of them from his living room window.

He watches the family, they're all listening to a woman, they look like ants from where he's sitting, their house being built closer to where the forest starts opposed to Josh's. 

A woman is yelling at them, Josh doesn't have to hear them all to know, her hair is shoulder length, it's blond and she's pointing at things in the truck, she's yelling at three guys and they all listen and do as she asks. Except for one who he sees rush into the house quickly. 

Josh knows what to use the turkey for now.

He's not the best chef but Josh can pull his own when he tries. He spends his afternoon cooking and listening to the yelling going on across the dirt road, he can just hear it. He had opened his front door, letting the screen one stay closed. The broken silence is weird, everything is amplified but it's weird in a good way.

He makes Turkey pie. Canned pie crust, canned gravy, fresh carrots, potatoes, celery and then turkey. This is the first one he'd shot. When he'd stuffed them each into their respective ziplock plastic bags he'd labeled this one with a black sharpie so he'd know. This is a good cut of meat.

When the sun is setting the family isn't outside anymore and the moving truck is gone and moved further up their driveway, closer most likely so they could move smaller boxes inside. Josh likes that the quiet is back. He wraps the pie with serran wrap, changes and walks over.

Their driveway is a dirt road, property cut off by a short fence. He passes by the barn first and walks another minute until he can reach the actual house. It's far from the main road really and Josh is freezing as his boots crush the dry dirt.

He's never been this close to the house before, it's weird up close, it's bigger too. It looks more abandoned the closer he gets, older, dirty siding and shutters and the roof is damn near falling to pieces. Josh could offer to work on it for them, lend them a helping hand.

Their porch is nice though, Josh remembering his old neighbour having done construction on it a few years ago. It doesn't creak when he steps up on it.

A boy opens the door just as he reaches the door to knock, maybe he's older Josh can't tell. He has boyish features and is wearing a loose tank top. Josh imagines he'll be covered in mosquito bites if he doesn't slip on a sweater in the next half hour.

The boy says. "Hello."

Josh remembers to speak, glancing behind the boy for a moment before making eye-contact. "I'm Josh, your neighbour. I live right cross' the street. Just wanted to welcome you guys. I brought this."

He glances down at the food in his arms reaching to give it to the kid.

"Oh. Uh-wow. Thank you, we aren't really from round' here didn't expect someone so nice."

Josh isn't insulted, he laughs. "No problem, hope you enjoy the pie. Where're you guys from?"

The boy blinks, looking back behind him. Josh can see the woman with the blond hair staring at them. He looks back at Josh. "Columbus, Ohio. It's different."

"Yeah, I can imagine."

The boys smile is biting. "Anyone else nearby?"

Josh isn't thrown off by the question, he shakes his head. "No, not really. It's pretty barren out here, if you were to walk through that forest behind your house you'd never find anyone else unless you walked for days at a time and at that point you'd most likely be lost."

The boys laughter sounds forced as he clutches the food to his stomach, pan digging against his shirt. "So we're your only neighbours?"

Josh stares at the broken doorbell and then back at the kid. "Yeah, it sure seems that way. I don't see very many people at all, specially' since we're out here on the backroads. Kind of hidden aren't we?"

The boy nods slowly, in thought, he's gnawing at his lip. "Well hopefully we don't ruin your quiet."

"Kid get the fuck in here and shut the damn door." He flinches, looking behind him. Josh following his gaze once again, the woman is staring straight at him. Josh looks at the boy instead.

"Gotta go." Josh understands. "I'll stop by later to drop off your pan." The boy says, slowly taking a step back, socked feet back on the hardwood underneath the doorway. He presses against the screen door.

"Bye."

"Cya around." Josh sticks his hands in his coat pockets.

 

*

His pan doesn't show up that night, not when he kicks back and toys with his TV's shitty cable, the antennas being adjusted until static is not all he's staring at. And it doesn't show up when he cleans the dishes or when he strips down to nothing and presses himself under his winter blankets. They're heavy, three of them stacked on top of each-other making them optimum for the upcoming weather. He can live without his pie pan for the night.

His sleep is restless and moving and the start of rain doesn't help, it's not a lullaby against the window of his bedroom, it's the worst thing he's heard albeit knowing it'll be good for his crops. It makes him want to curl up. Rain has always been chilling, out here alone especially. Even with neighbours he's still alone, far from society.

*

Josh is making coffee when he finally wakes up, it's late afternoon, his eyes are accompanied by light purple bags and naturally caffeine is his answer to a shitty nights sleep. His coffee machine is nothing special, it's old and nearly broken but it works just well enough like everything else in his house.

There's a knock at the door as soon as he sits down. Josh sighs and swishes his coffee around in his mug, mocha staining the inside of the cup as he drawls over to his front door. He's not dressed, well not properly dressed, he's still in pyjamas as he swings open the screen door.

It's the boy from yesterday, nervously leaning back and moving side to side on his feet. He's either got a lot of energy or is very anxious. Josh guesses the latter.

"Oh hey."

The boy smiles. "Hi, uh-my mama made you some peanut butter cookies to thank you for yesterday." He holds out a plastic container, filled with cookies. Josh's stomach growls as they get handed to him.

He smiles, holding the container. "Well that's mighty sweet, tell her I say thanks."

Biting back as smile the boy speaks gently. "I'll let her know. Also just saying the turkey pie was really good and oh- uh here's your pan. I cleaned it for you and everything." He fumbles for it, it's stuck underneath his armpit, a way to keep it stable and with him as he'd made the walk over.

"Well thank you." Josh says, the kid handing him his pan. "I'm not the best chef but I really tried with that one."

He smiles. "I can't cook at all, so you're already one step ahead of me."

"Get your mama to teach you, that's what I did."

He shrugs, collarbones sticking out oddly in the process. They're clear underneath his shirt. "She's tried."

"I'd teach you but I'm better at hunting then cooking. If you want to learn how to hunt, I'm your guy."

The boy smiles, childishly. "What do you hunt?"

"Mostly deer, I just got some turkey a few days ago though."

He smiles. "Oh. So you're good with a gun is my guess."

Josh glances down at the pie pan, sly smile on his lips. "Yeah, I'd say so. I've been doing it all my life, shooting. My dad bought me my first gun when I was twelve. I've grown up with it."

"It's not really like that back in Columbus. I've never even held a gun."

Josh smiles. "Like I said. I'm your guy. I'll teach you some time, just come on over."

He grins. "Seriously?"

Josh nods, turning around to place the cookies and returned pie pan on an end table, the one that sits beside his front door underneath a nail in the wall. "Damn straight. I'm actually going hunting next Friday, before the season ends round' here. You're free to come along if you'd like." He raises an eyebrow, looking at him.

"I'll need to ask but I'd love that."

Josh gently leans against the door frame, crossing his arms, the boy naturally takes a step back, leaving a larger gap between the two of them. "Just let me know before next Friday."

The boy nods quickly, twisting a strand of hair between his fingers. "I will."

Josh smiles and takes a good look at him. He's scrawny that's for sure but it's not a bad thing, he's in layers, a long sleeve with a long cotton t-shirt over top and then sweatpants and boots. Josh can't say it's weird.

There's slow steady silence until the boy coughs, pulling Josh back into reality.

"So you've got any plans for the day?" He asks, leaning back just slightly.

Josh shakes his head. "Not really, i might go on a walk behind my house, morning hike."

"I think I've ought be helping out with the horses soon, bringing em into the stables."

Josh raises an eyebrow. "You've got any experience with horses?

He shakes his head. "Not really no. My ma' wants to raise cattle though, which I do sorta have experience with. She says we have enough farm land for it."

Josh whistles. "Well you certainly do. Fucking acres from the looks of it."

"Yeah, well we'll see. I'm not really in charge, don't got much say in things. I'm kind of forgotten,"

"Aren't we all?"

"No, not really." He says solemnly, Josh sighs, must've struck a nerve. "Well I've uh- gotta go."

He makes his way down the porch and onto the driveway before Josh is calling for him. "Hey kid, wait a second, what's your damn name?"

Like he's forgotten it, he pauses and turns around, frowning for a moment before staring at Josh. "It's Tyler."

Josh smiles, leaning against the door frame once more, it creeks. "Just Tyler?" He yells.

Tyler uses his hand to block the sun out of his eyes. "That's all that's important isn't it?"

Josh smiles. "I guess so."

*

Josh doesn't see Tyler for the rest of the week and most of the following week either. It's not that he's checking either, his neighbours are radio silent, the moving truck unmoving from their driveway. It's not abnormal for people to be quieter out here, that's why people move this far out in the first place, that's why he moved this far out too but Tyler seemed like he wouldn't want to be cooped up, but then again Josh knows nothing about him.

He does see cattle show up one day though and sees who he presumes is Tyler's mom herd them into their closed off field along with fresh hay bales. This family moves fast although having just moved in.

He sees the other men he'd seen on the day they'd moved in too but not Tyler. These boys are older, maybe adults, he's not sure of Tyler's age but he definitely looks younger then these two. And sure they look like ants from his house but Josh makes a lot of assumptions and this is one of them.

They bring in pigs next, a few of them near the end of the week and Josh watches from his front porch, nursing a bottle of beer. And Tyler is nowhere to be seen, up and disappeared. Maybe he'd imagined him but that's unlikely because Tyler seemed very very real.

He watches the family work on the farm land, they get shit done from what he call tell and they make him want to be more productive with his summer and time off of work.

When he isn't using his neighbours as a source of entertainment he cooks himself small meals, utilizing venison aside mashed potatoes and carrots. Simple food was what he was best at, it'd be pointless to try anything that surpasses his knowledge of it.

He watches wolves lurk the fine line between his property and the start of forest too, it's common and he's never dared go outside this late in fear of being torn to pieces but Josh watches from a safe distance from behind the screen door that leads into his backyard.

Late one night, moon out on his porch he's sure he sees Tyler leave the house, he even stands up at the sight of light that shines through the door of Tyler's house when it opens.

He sleeps wrong for the rest of the night.

*

Friday comes around and Josh is all packed up, gun over his lap, coffee mug on his hands as he watches the sun rise from his back porch. It just escapes from the baffle of dying trees, providing heat against Josh's thighs.

There's some type of excitement and anticipation for him when it comes to hunting and today is no different.

"Ain't it a bit early to be up?" 

"Shit." Josh flinches, turning around quickly only to see Tyler. He laughs, nearly wheezing and places his mug down beside him before bringing his hands to his face.

"Fuck, you nearly gave me a damn heart attack." He says in disbelief, patting the spot beside him.

Tyler smiles. "Sorry." As he sits down beside Josh on the porch, the wood is damp but Tyler is like Josh, no care for the clothes he'd be wearing for the rest of the day. His under-eyes are a pale yellow, fading to purple, like he hasn't slept in weeks or like he'd been nursing a black eye, his head is shaved, fluffy hair gone and his clothes neatly fall off of him, the black sweater he's wearing two sizes too big and reaches his mid-thighs. Josh can't not stare, he pulls his gun over his lap tightly.

"Your fucking hair."

"I'm ready to go hunting." Tyler blinks, he's staring at the swing set, ignoring Josh. "I am still allowed to join you right?"

Josh swallows, his mouth is dry as he nods. "Yeah, Yeah definitely you're still welcome to come with me."

Tyler finally turns to him. "You'll help me right? Remember I don't know how to do this kinda stuff."

Josh smiles sharply. "I'll help you as best I can."

Tyler is shaky. He leans close. "I hope so."

They leave an hour later, Tyler in charge of strapping Josh's now filled lunch box over his shoulder while Josh carries the guns and small amount of ammunition. Tyler is leaning slightly to the side as he walks, weight of the bag pulling him.

Josh isn't really expecting much out of this trip, but he's got nothing to do and this is about as good as it gets.

They hit up a large open field with dry grass first, Josh teaching him how to use a gun in the first place. He demonstrates and Tyler copies and they do this over and over and over again until Tyler can barely hold up the shot gun Josh had brought along anymore. They haven't even shot at anything yet.

When they eat lunch Tyler is sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree, one leg hiked up comfortably as he munches on the peanut butter sandwich Josh had packed for him. Josh isn't all that hungry so he tries to initiate conversation but Tyler's quiet, not willing, so Josh leaves him alone.

Tyler sticks his fingers in his mouth when peanut butter sticks to them and Josh chuckles and does the same, smiling.

Later after they've digested he let's Tyler shoot the empty beer bottles he'd brought along and it turns out for someone who's never shot a gun he's got fucking perfect aim although being as shaky as a leaf, he's not awful. Josh applauds him and gives him a tap on the back before explaining that they've actually gotta go hunting now, in the next hour atleast because they can't be wasting too much sun light.

And they do, Josh tells him to avoid killing bigger animals for the day and tells Tyler to shoot at smaller ones like rabbits. They take turns, Josh is still, frozen most of the time, much too focused on the task at hand while Tyler trembles, finger locked on the trigger. Josh leads them into a legal hunting zone, the area he always ends up with and can recognize well enough.

He sees a rabbit right away and smiles, Tyler does too and that's the first time Josh has seen a real genuine smile graze his face.

Tyler does kill a few rabbits, Josh surprised although being very proud. They collect them all and Josh is stuck carrying the bleeding creatures around, letting Tyler have all the fun. Josh doesn't mind, Tyler seems to be having a good time and that's what matters to him right now.

If he were hunting because he was missing out on food than maybe it would be a different story but that's just not it.

They eventually do run out of animals to shoot at, they see a deer but Josh reminds him they don't need to kill it today. Tyler  
just nods.

It starts getting dark earlier than usually, accented by storm clouds that have piled up overtop the roof of the already dark forest. That's when Josh says it's time to go back, Tyler doesn't protest, he only nods, following Josh and helping him carry stuff back.

And that's how they are now Josh feeling awkward in the forced silence and Tyler taking quick steps ahead of him. His boots crush everything underneath them, he's loud enough to make any animal flee.

"Haven't seen you in quite a bit." Josh remarks, hopeful in trying to slide into a more revealing topic of conversation. He steps on a tree root, steel-toe of his boots preventing him from stubbing his toe.

Tyler just shrugs, no eye contact. "Should probably get used to that. I don't get to choose when I go outside. Lucky I even got to come out here with you. They're protective."

"You don't get a say in any of this?"

He shifts, pausing letting his fingers drag across the bark of a fat oak tree, pressing them. His back is to Josh. "I never really do. It's okay though, as long as I do what's asked of me everything stays just right."

Josh decides not to push it, the topic is something that isn't his business. It's a bubble he doesn't want to toy with until it pops. Josh is cautious, stepping around the subject.

"My parents weren't like that. They didn't give a shit, you're lucky."

Tyler scoffs, venomous and lets go of the tree, turning to look at Josh. "Don't believe much in luck if I'm being honest." He kicks a stray stone, stepping over a bush of wilting wild flowers in the process.

The rest of their walk is silent, Tyler whistling something delicate the whole way back and Josh hauling the few rabbits they'd shot along with him.

*

Tyler dissapears again but not for a week, this time only for a few days. It's not Josh's business really but he's still curious and since nothing ever happens around here of course when his neighbours become to definition of ghosts and their house starts to look the way it had when it had been sold a few weeks ago Josh can only wonder what the hell is going on in there, which frankly seems like a whole lot of nothing.

The only real indication of life are the cows that roam the large field and lay underneath the large shady trees that had grown tall and strong long before their large thin fence had been installed.

Josh doesn't see much of anyone those few days and instead of the normal peace he feels, he feels nervous. Maybe it's the new dynamic of having neighbours he's actually interacted with or maybe it's just because Tyler is such a damn mystery but his stomach is twisting, winding and unwinding itself over and over again and he hates it.

He feels relief though when Tyler finally shows up at his doorstep, it's a sunny day, he's wearing sunglasses and loose overalls and Josh was expecting him to be in a good mood when he'd opened the door but he wasn't.

Tyler's shaking, trembling like he seems to be accustom to doing.

"Hey." Is the first thing he says and he says it so quietly Josh almost asks him to repeat himself.

Josh squints playfully. "Tyler, hi. You alright?"

"Y-Yeah im alright." He wraps his arms around himself. Getting straight to the point, his eyes look soft, he pleads although the action being unnecessary because Josh is nice and Josh is willing. "Do you have a med kit I can borrow by any chance?"

Josh immediately frowns and scans Tyler's body, it's out of instinct, he sees nothing.

Tyler shakes his head, frowning, concerned. "Not for me, it's my sibling, they got hurt. We're still missing some necessities, thought you might have some."

Josh understands, he's already thinking of all worst case scenarios as Tyler shakes in front of him. "Is that all?"

Tyler shakes his head again whole body following the movement. "Cold medicine? Possibly? Or a Tylenol. Don't really matter."

Josh smiles. "I've got all that, you can wait in here if you want. It's hot as balls out there."

"Yeah, Okay. Thank you." Tyler steps inside, fingers wrapping around the door handle to close it behind him, a blockade from the harsh wind from the outside. It's a nice contrast.

"No problem. I'll be right back."

His med kit is large, never knowing what could injure him especially since he's been living alone for years. It hides underneath the sink, buried between a crockpot and some pans. He finds it easily, it's a solid weight as he carries it sets it on his kitchen counter before searching for medicine. He finds pain-killers first, grabbing them off a small shelf in his bathroom. Not being sick often he finds day and night quil In his camping supplies with his second med kit.

He joins Tyler back at his front door, Tyler hasn't stopped shaking. Josh feels bad, but he's trying his best as he approaches Tyler with everything he'd asked for. "Is this alright?"

Tyler nods quickly, wiping underneath his eyes and at his tear ducts. "More than okay, thank you so much Josh."

Josh sighs deeply, using the wall as a crutch. "No problem. Let me know more about the situation later alright?"

Tyler presses the med kit to his chest, fingers getting a better grip on it as well as the day and night quill. "I'll try. It's not-" he sighs. "It's not as bad as it seems, I swear."

"Stay safe."

Tyler frowns before leaving, saying nothing and Josh watches him run across the street and all the way back to his house.

*

The topic of Tyler needing to borrow his med kit doesn't come up, Tyler never really brings it back and the next time Tyler comes over Josh has completely forgotten about it.

"Do you think you could cut me up one of those rabbits? My ma' was asking me about it." Tyler asks this one day, he shows up and asks Josh and Josh doesn't see a problem with it.

He leads him to the shed, shoes getting encased in a layer of mud, Tyler doesn't seem to care, he skips away as Josh points to the tucked away shed and says. "I need an upgrade but this is all I have. It looks better once you get inside I promise."

Tyler doesn't care, he even seems impressed once he's inside and this makes Josh grin.

Josh talks him through the process of preparing a rabbit to be eaten, Tyler leans on one of the installed counters and listens, and watches as Josh skins them and makes incisions in their bodies. He can't stare for long, becoming squeamish at the sight of blood.

"This is gross."

Josh laughs, wiping at his nose with his clean wrist. "This is how food works."

"Still gross." He shrugs, still poking at the cut of meat. Josh could go into town and sell it to the butchery no problem. But this piece is for Tyler and his family.

"Maybe."

*

Tyler shows up once a week after that, otherwise a ghost in Josh's life.

Sometimes he brings cookies, claiming his mom had made them for them to share and sometimes he brings nothing and just sits on Josh's couch watching TV.

Either way Josh likes the company even if Tyler's a little bit weird sometimes. It's nothing out of the ordinary usually, just small things, mannerisms but Josh notices them.

The way he scratches at his wrist until it begins to bleed or sometimes he'll look at Josh and be scared, eyes wide until he seems to register who it is.

He asks him one day, very quietly. "Who are you?"

And when Josh's eyebrows furrow he backtracks quickly. 

"Sorry, i'm really out of it." He shakes his head and smiles, like it's a joke. Josh leaves it be. 

Tyler can't read, that's another thing he knows for sure. He watches him try one day, eyebrows furrowed, dictionary on his lap, lips following along and Josh he wants to ask about it but he doesn't, he can't. 

He seems to be on the verge of tears. 

Instead of saying anything Josh sits down beside Tyler hands him a cookie and puts the TV on.

*

He brings him hunting for a second time, well tries too but it rains again, the end of August proving to be much more prone to rain than Josh had expected.

They cancel their trip and Tyler says he needs to go home right away. 

Josh doesn't question it.

*

Then he sees him twice a week.

He'll spends the day with Josh, eat his food and then run home before the sun sets. He's there more often but for less time.

They barely talk which Josh figures is just how he is when they aren't making small talk. 

Tyler is especially quiet but Josh decides to compensate for the two of them and Tyler doesn't seem to mind his constant rambling.

*

The most Tyler goes over to Josh's is three times a week and this isn't something that lasts long but Josh still appreciates it.

Tyler doesn't say a word when he shows up and Josh thinks he gets it, he especially doesn't ask questions, his state of mind being that Tyler will talk if he needs too.

He just makes them both food, they eat and Tyler leaves and that's it. He's there for not even an hour after they eat, completely disassociated.

*

"I was wondering if your family would like to come over for dinner some time." Josh says one day. They're in the shed, Tyler watching as he dissects, butchers one of the rabbits Josh had frozen a week or two ago. Tyler's somehow used to it now, somehow having grown immune and less squeamish.

Tyler says nothing though, much like he does when he doesn't want to answer something.

Josh leaves it at that.

*

It rains, hard, it's normal and Josh really can't sleep. He stutters around the bed, rolling and moving his blankets in every direction he goes. Pulling them closer. The small fan he has set on his nightstand isn't loud enough to drown out the downpour.

His fan isn't loud enough to drown out the sound of knocking just when he's started falling asleep either. He takes a deep breath, glancing at his alarm clock as he gets up. 1:30 in the morning, Josh feels heavy.

All feelings of heaviness disappear when he sees Tyler, soaked on his porch.

"I need help." Tyler looks behind him, face wet with rain and tears, eyes rubbed red. "Josh please can I come in? please."

"Shit, yeah come in here kid." Josh pulls him inside quickly, hand on the small of his back, shutting the door behind him. He lets him get settled on the couch, grabbing him a towel from his bathroom closet. It's fluffy, one from his childhood, it's covered with butterflies. When he wraps it around Tyler, like a mom would to a child Tyler is smiling through his tears and using it to wipe away at his wet hair.

"So what the hell is going on here? It's late, it's raining and you're here."

"I need a favour." Is the first thing he says, tentatively looking at Josh for confirmation. Josh is still just sitting down, crooning onto the chair across from Tyler and throwing a blanket across his lap.

Josh is amazed Tyler is even talking right now but he does his best to not smile.

"I want to piss them off." Tyler says next, urging for a response.

Josh gives him one, he frowns, curling his toes underneath his thighs and shifting on his weight. "Them?"

Tyler looks out the window, tilting his head at his own house for a moment. He stares at Josh, clutching his towel tight around him. "I-I need you to have sex with me."

Josh freezes, the rain somehow becoming less of a background noise, Tyler is shaking, he's a leaf in the wind, a blown over flower, trembling. "Can you repeat that for me?"

Tyler doesn't, he says something else. It's the most he's talked in weeks. "I need to piss them off."

"Tyler." Josh says, unable to look away from him.

"Sorry, Sorry." He shakes his head, thumb to his mouth, teeth around the nail. "I know m'not making much sense right now."

"No shit." Josh sighs, bewildered, running his hands through his hair. Fingers getting caught in his curled locks.

He sighs rubbing at his temples with heavy fingertips. "Are you a minor?"

Tyler looks at him nervously, unsure he says. "I don't think so."

"You don't," Josh laughs, mockingly even, he raises an eyebrow. "You don't fuckin' think so?"

Tyler palms at his eyes again, groaning. "Just don't ask, please. I just-I need you to have sex with me, tonight. Don't be mad."

They sit in silence, Tyler shaking, Josh leaning back in his chair. "I'm, I'm not mad i just don't usually fuck guys."

"Pretend I'm a girl then. Jesus, look it's not because I'm in love with you or some shit if that's what you're thinking. Don't think that."

Josh bites at his lip. "I dont think that. I'm just trying to understand."

"Is this important?"

No hesitation, Tyler says. "Yes."

"You're not going to tell me why are you?"

He shakes his head, nearly crying as he brings his knees to his chest, slow and gentle, legs frail. "I can't tell you."

"Is this some type of teenage rebellion?"

"No."

And that's it, that's all, Tyler needs him, wether it's really necessary or some type of twisted manipulation is unknown but, Josh kisses him, Josh doesn't pretend he's a girl and he holds his hips and rests his hands at the nape of his neck, fingers curling around tiny baby strands of his hair.

Tyler isn't nervous and if he is he doesn't show it, Josh is though, his finger tips are delicate on his skin and he thrusts slow and cautious. Josh fucks him, makes love to him, has sex with him on the couch with Tyler whining underneath him, sweat rolling down his forehead.

Tyler leaves right away as soon as Josh cleans him up and helps him get dressed. He leaves all red faced and smiling nervously as he kisses Josh's temple before running out and leaving Josh very confused.

*

He thinks about Tyler all day after he wakes up alone. 

He stares longingly at his house like his girlfriend had just broken up with him. He eats dinner with Tyler on his mind and falls asleep with Tyler on his mind.

Frantic knocking at his door wakes Josh up that same night. he hears gentle tapping first and then hard pounding and he can't ignore the noise. He knows who it is automatically, and maybe he's excited, he likes Tyler, and even though it's late he can't be bothered. This doesn't feel like a normal visit though even though Tyler has visited at this hour before. Tonight feels different.

Getting out of bed proves less of a struggle than anticipated as blood flow returns to his limbs and his bare feet warm to the soft carpet of his bedroom.

And when he gets to the door and peaks through the window Tyler is there again, tears, his hair is matted with something that Josh can't see well in the light, his hands are dark.

He swings open the door.

"Josh. She's dead." Is the first thing Tyler says, voice raspy, eyes focused elsewhere, disassociated. This night is definitely different.

"Tyler what the hell. Shit, Is that blood?"

Tyler rushes by, fingers shaking as he pushes by Josh's frame and shuts the door right behind him. Josh follows, lost and confused as Tyler paces into his living room, pulling off his big coat and teetering it onto the back of the lazy boy chair. It rocks and Tyler stares at Josh, crying, hair matted dark red, hands matching.

"I said i'd protect her and then I didn't and now she's gone. She's fucking gone, oh my god."

"Tyler."

Crying, palms wet, cheeks red, Tyler is sobbing. "I wanted them to fucking kill me. And." Tyler hides his face behind his hands. "Shit, shit, shit. They didn't, not yet and when I told them I let you fuck me, when I told them that I liked it I thought I was gonna die. But I'm still here and it's been days and- and now they killed her instead of me because I was selfish."

Josh presses a hand to his shoulder, Tyler's shaking doesn't cease. "Shut the hell up."

"I don't know what you're talking about Tyler." Josh says and he wants to repeat it just to make himself clear.

Tyler stares at him, lip quivering. "B-but I told you, last night I was here and I told you and you said you'd call the police but you didn't."

Josh frowns, scratching at his stubble. "Tyler I was alone all of yesterday, you never came by."

"Right, right. That was with that other guy." He mumbles.

"They killed her." Tyler repeats, rocking on his feet, he's visibly shaking, scratching at his face and cheeks.

"Who?" Josh asks, Tyler sinks to the floor, legs giving out and Josh follows him down, hand on his waist as Tyler collapses onto his legs. Josh's heart is pounding.

"Fucking, they fucking killed a child." Tyler says, hiding his face against his knees.

Josh stares, in disbelief, running his thumb underneath Tyler's cheek, he swipes up a drop of blood. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Do you need a doctor? I'll bring you into town."

Tyler shakes his head, over and over again. "I thought they'd let me go. They wouldn't want me anymore cause I'd been soiled and then I'd take her with me but fuck, I don't know what's going on anymore."

"Tyler. "

"Those people, they're bad."

"Okay, Okay. Slow down." But Tyler doesn't.

"We moved out here cause' I think someone was onto them. Someone in our old neighbourhood knew I wasn't- no, no i told him and he was- fuck, he was gonna call the police and I was gonna be-"

Josh shakes his head. "Shut up. Please just, quiet down for a second."

Tyler's crying harder now, tears warming his cheeks, breathing unevenly. "Josh, Josh listen to me please."

"I'm listening. And you aren't making any sense."

Tyler shakes his head. "You need to help me bury Emily." He pleads, sobbing, clutching onto Josh's fingers, crushing them with his grip. "They're gonna throw her into the river. She deserves more. Jesus Christ, she deserves so much more. You'll help me. Maybe tomorrow please, or tonight, in your backyard we can bury her. Preserve her?"

Josh carefully pulls Tyler against his chest, he's scared but he needs something, more information. "Tyler, who is Emily?"

"This-This little girl. They took her and Josh, i need your help."

"I think you're sick, maybe you should go home."

Tyler stares at him, a stray tear rolling down his cheek. He nods. "You think I'm lying?"

Tyler starts crying again, into Josh's chest this time and Josh doesn't know what more to do so he cradles him and maybe holding a grown adult like this should be weird but it isn't. Tyler is small enough, especially right now. Josh holds him, tightly, worriedly, pressing a wet kiss to his forehead as Tyler starts sobbing again, whole body shaking. "I'm s-so-s-sorry Josh."

Josh strokes along his back. "Hey, you're okay, you're okay hush."

Tyler stays still, stuck in Josh's grip and Josh's head hurts as he rubs at Tyler's temples and touches at his hair. It's most likely cows blood that's stained the strands. Josh combs through, fingers become red, not like Tyler's hands though, more a faint pink.

"I need to go bury her." Tyler says after a long while, he's stopped crying now, completely serious.

Josh sighs. "No, what you need is to go home. C'mon get up, I'll help you."

Tyler gets up on his own, pulling himself out of Josh's grip and webbing out his hands on the floor to help push himself up and onto his feet. It seems to work and Josh doesn't even have time to react before Tyler's running, sprinting home.

"I have to go." Is the last thing he says.

"What the hell?"

But Tyler is already long gone.

 

*

Josh expects to see Tyler the next day, he expects to see him in the morning, apologizing for waking him up last night and explaining what he had been talking about but Josh is alone all day, Tyler not showing up.

*

A girl is dead and Josh doesn't know if Tyler was being serious or not.

*

After a week Josh gives up, he's worried and needs answers. He needs something.

He's very worried which is why Josh is running across his lawn and over to Tyler's house so he can see him because he needs answers from Tyler now, he can't wait anymore. He needs answers from a Tyler who's in his right state of mind.

A blond woman he'd only seen a few times and heard of a handful of times is the one to open the door though. She creaks it open just enough to see Josh and Josh leans further into her view of vision, politely.

"What can I do for you?" She asks.

"M'Josh, your neighbour."

She smiles. "Oh yes I've heard about you, well, it's very nice to officialy meet you."

"Yeah, likewise. Is Tyler home by any chance?"

She frowns and shakes her head. "No, no, he's gone to his aunts house for the next couple of weeks."

"He didn't tell me he was leaving."

She laughs. "Well it was a last minute thing."

Josh shakes his head, raising an eyebrow as he sticks his hands in the pockets of his coat and rubs his neck against his scarf. "Let me know when he's back, maybe."

"If he does come back you'll be the first to know. He loves his aunts house."

Josh sighs, pinching at the bridge of his nose. "Thank you."

*

Tyler doesn't come back, not after a week and Josh is contemplating calling the police but he doesn't. He sits at home and watches TV and cooks dinner and it's all so mundane and it feels wrong but that's what he does. He even mows his lawn in preparation for fall because he knows as soon as trees start to shed their leaves all his motivation to do so will up and disappear.

And Josh goes to sleep thinking about that night, Tyler crying on his floor, a little girl he's never seen or heard of dead, Tyler asking him for help, him refusing and helping him get back home. Josh isn't sure if he did the right thing but that's all he could think to do at the time. He can't shake that maybe Tyler was telling the truth but he sounded fucking insane and Josh wasn't sure how he could piece all of this together.

*

When Tyler doesn't show up after two, three, four, five, six weeks it really is fall and the forest has shifted from lush green to a dead brown.

It's mid October, Josh is still contemplating calling the police to try to figure this out. Figure out where Tyler is, figure out if there's a dead girl hidden in his neighbours house.

But Josh doesn't, Josh instead prepares his garden for the weekend and leaves food out for the wolves again and Josh doesn't do shit except for wonder where Tyler is.

He goes over to his house every few days and asks. "Is Tyler back yet?" And the answer is the same every time and after weeks of going and asking he's accepted that Tyler's gonna be gone a while.

*

His neighbours move out one day much later in the month and Josh is shocked, sitting inside curled up in an arm chair with big pillows and they move out, Tyler still at his aunts house.

It takes them a day to pack up, another day to empty all their stuff out and get it moved to wherever they're new house is and another two days to transport the animals.

It happens so fast Josh barely notices until the blond woman drops by with some cookies, she passes them to Josh gently, they're peanut butter. "It's been nice." Is what she says and Josh agrees and takes the cookies inside.

And Josh watches them go, heart in his throat, his only access to Tyler gone.

It goes quiet again but at the same time everything is so damn loud.

*

With his neighbours house now empty Josh wants to lurk around.

It's something he waits on, too nervous to actually execute. But he does it near the end of October because it's supposed to snow soon and exploring would be difficult in that weather.

The property feeling much scarier now that it's unresided and empty. He goes to the back part of their house, it's not much of a backyard, more of a field that could be used for a farm land.

It's kind of plain, he can see where the farm animals had been, see their start at a garden. Josh sighs and his eyes widen as he sees the start of a narrow dirt path.

Naturally he follows it, it's not very far away from him. More to the right of the property, Josh can't help himself.

The pathway isn't very long, he hums as he walks down it although he's nervous and paranoid to even be on the property.

It leads to a large opening, more field and Josh is almost amazed at how many acres they actually had. Tyler had never invited him over.

There's a small barn and a small pond right beside it and really it's just all field.

Josh walks around aimlessly, shivering at the cold wind that parachutes against his skin with each step.

He pauses by a fence post, staring at it curiously before looking down with furrowed brows.

And that's when Josh's world collapses. It's obvious what he's looking at, it'd take a real idiot to not be able to decipher what these are. The packed dirt, the slight over grow of grass.

It's a grave but what makes it worse is that there isn't just one, there's two.

For a second Josh closes his eyes, it's just a nightmare is what he tells himself, he reopens them and he can't breathe and he falls against the side of the abandoned barn needing it as a way to stabilize himself.

He falls to his knees, sun beaming as he lets himself melt against the cold ground, leaves crunching and wind shuffling a few off of the fresh looking graves. One of them looks like a more natural part of the land while the other has soft soil covering it. It's newer.

He stares at them and god there aren't even any headstones.

He doesn't want to believe it but he knows not to lie to himself.

Fingers trembling he calls the police.

*

Tyler Joseph was kidnapped at the young age of five. Picked off up of the streets of Columbus, Ohio by a family who wanted to children but couldn't have their own. He didn't know to write or read and he didn't know that he was being kidnapped until he was told he had been.

They moved to Kentucky, a small town. The family he'd now been forced into keeping him out of school and hidden as pictures of him spread across major new outlets and newspapers.

His case goes cold after a year and he's presumed dead although most people liked to consider him as missing.

He spends his life with them, his kidnappers abducting other minors along the way only to set them free days later. He stays, Tyler is the only one they keep and there's a reputation being made as children disappear and reappear within days. No one links up Tyler's disappearance to the children though because it wouldn't make sense, the recent abductions seemingly unconnected to his. 

In 1981 Tyler manages to leave and get someone to call the police but nothing comes of it because he's taken back and the man he'd come in contact with is soon dead. 

They moved around a lot after that, settling in Massachusetts for a final move with their oldest Abductee Tyler Joseph and newest, Emily Bell a little blonde girl with bright sea blue eyes. 

The window in Tyler's room had a broken latch.

On October 20th 1983 Tyler Joseph loses his virginity. 

On September 8th 1983 Emily Bell is murdered by Leah Duhrn and later buried by Tyler Joseph with the help of Seth Duhrn. She had died of suffocation, drowned in a bathtub covered in deep cuts. 

On October 29th 1983 Tyler Joseph is choked to death by Lucas Duhrn.

On November 4th 1983 Tyler and Emily's bodies are found by 27 year old Joshua Dun.

They are both uncovered, Tyler's family earning closure as well as Emily's.

On November 12th 1983, Leah, Seth and Lucas Duhrn are arrested under accounts of child abduction and multiple accounts of homicide.

19 year old Tyler Joseph was buried on a farm beside 7 year old Emily Bell behind a farm house in a field. 

Tyler Joseph was buried in a farmers field and Joshua Dun was in denial the whole time.

*

**Author's Note:**

> I felt like reposting this on here, it’s a bit of a mess sorry


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